^Biggie's 'Duets' album is a choppy ride<
^By
^Associated Press Writer=
¶ Notorious B.I.G., "Duets" (Bad Boy)
¶ This is the album of collaborations that should've happened if the late,
great B.I.G. was still alive. His mentor Diddy, trying to restore some luster to
his waning Bad Boy label, pieces together Biggie verses alongside the likes of
Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot and Bob Marley, to name a few.
¶ Immediately, the first track drags you through the dungeon with a
warrior-themed beat produced by Eminem, along with verses from the blond bandit,
his protege Obie Trice and an unapologetic Diddy responding to critics who say
he's profiting off of Biggie's legacy. Surprisingly, Obie outshines the two
veterans, but the song lacks the impact of Biggie's previous catalog.
¶ Jay-Z reunites with his "Commission" cohort on the track "Whatchu Want."
Although Biggie's two verses had never been released before, references like
"slam Larry Johnson and his grand mama" date the material. Still, the verses are
classic Biggie: clever and raunchy enough to make a jaded pimp blush.
¶ Other highlights include tracks pairing Biggie with Big Pun (it would've
been nice to have them both writing songs from scratch) plus Tupac and Nas on
"Living In Pain." The latter is the best track on the album _ somehow, producer
Just Blaze's studio magic results in Tupac and Biggie ending their respective
parts with the same "living in the house of pain" line. The haunting string
ensemble and Mary J. Blige's raspy cry for help make you feel as if you're
living in the same house.
¶ The album has its share of disappointments. Why are Juelz Santana and Lil
Wayne rapping on a track with Big Poppa nowhere to be found? And "Wake Up,"
featuring the suicidal nu-metal group Korn, feels out of place _ it's hard to
believe B.I.G. would have chosen to do this type of song.
¶ Biggie created songs on the spot according to the feel of the sound coming
from the speakers, developing a flow or cadence that set him apart from all
others. Essentially, he was made for the beats. On this album, the beats are
made for him and don't capture the magic he used to create his classics.
¶ Although the soundscape of the album reflects what's going on today in the
club and on the radio (which Biggie might have changed if he was around), all
the verses sound dated and familiar. But his lyrics still hold the standard that
most of today's rappers can't follow. The album does it's best to give us Biggie
alongside the best, but it falls short of the art that was Notorious B.I.G.

Latest News & Gossip - AP Review: Jay-Z Performs With Rival Nas Fri Oct 28, 4:49 PM ET Bling took a back seat to brotherhood as Jay-Z surprised bloodthirsty fans by performing side-by-side with his rival Nas in a concert dedicated to squashing rap beefs. The star-studded event at Continental Arena on Thursday night was promoted by New York radio station Power 105 as "Jay-Z Declares War," presumably against his rivals in the treacherous rap world. Leading up to the show, the station quoted Jay-Z as saying, "I gotta smash a couple people ... everybody better make up and be my friend." Fans stood as the curtains parted to reveal Jay-Z as Commander in Chief seated in his Oval Office, flanked by four Secret Service men. He rocketed into his performance with "Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is HOV." An spectacular fire and light display emphasized the magnitude of the moment. The crowd roared for Jigga Man as he displayed a youthful hunger and Michael Jackson mystique behind aviator glasses and a navy military blazer with all the trimmings. Standing alone on stage with no entourage, he went from hit single to hit single, encouraging the crowd to say the name they've grown to love. He was flawless with his vocal delivery, paired with choreographed hand movements reminiscent of Caesar addressing the Romans. The masses, on the other hand, wanted to know whom Jay would attack. Several web sites had speculated on the victims: Former partner Damon Dash? Harlem hothead Cam'ron? Movie star 50 Cent? The crowd wanted war. But first they had to sit through a subpar performance from Teairra Mari and an Usher clone, which took the wind out of the action-packed show. And then expectations were shattered. T.I., the high-energy rapper from Atlanta, took the stage alongside Jay-Z, instantly smashing rumors of conflict (although T.I. had trouble keeping the crowd's attention due to faulty mic). Young Jeezy, a.k.a. the Snowman, performed "Soul Survivor" alongside Akon. Akon brought excitement to his part, but Jeezy seemed stuck to the stage with double-sided tape. A newly freed Beanie Sigel showed up to give Jay-Z support. Then Jay-Z (now on his third wardrobe change), Freeway, Memphis Bleek and B Sigel helped revive the energy level with gutter word play and lessons from Handgun 101. The crowd loved Jay for it. The peaceful plot started to reveal itself once the Lox got on stage next to Beanie Sigel. These two camps have fought vicious mixtape battles, but Thursday it was all about the Benjamins. The Lox also performed with their old nemesis Sean "Diddy" Combs (without the infamous shiny suits this time) as Diddy brought his energetic yet dated antics to the stage. Kanye West showed up as advertised, but he didn't get a rise out of the audience until he blurted out, "White people, this is your only chance to say n-----," referring to his song "Gold Digger." But the story of the night was Nas and Jay-Z, two stars who haven't had a kind word to say about each other for years. They performed "Dead Presidents" together (Jay sampled Nas' voice on the track from his classic debut album, "Reasonable Doubt") before Nas kicked off his own set. Jay-Z and Nas finished with Jay's horn-drenched "Encore" as LeBron James hit the stage like micless hype man a fitting basketball-related finale on the home court of the New Jersey Nets, of which Jay is part owner. Jay-Z may be "retired," but with the Nets moving to Jay's hometown of Brooklyn, no way this king will be able to resist another return to his court.

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